Papas Arrugadas

Papas arrugadas are a common staple in Canarian food. The name literally translates into English as ‘wrinkled potatoes’ which doesn’t sound appetising at all, so they’re usually given the nickname 'Canarian potatoes'.

This ‘recipe’ looks a bit simple and obvious at first – everyone knows how to boil potatoes, right? – but the difficult part of making papas arrugadas is getting the ideal water to salt combo to ensure that your potatoes are wonderfully salty, almost crispy on the outside whilst keeping the insides tremendously soft and fluffy.

After much trial and error, I think I've found just the right amount of salt and water to make the perfect potatoes. This recipe serves two but can easily be increased or decreased to suit you. Just remember that if you alter the amount of water, you must change the amount of salt accordingly.

Papas arrugadas are delicious on their own, but they are traditionally served with red and green mojo sauces.

Ingredients

8-10 Canarian Potatoes

500ml water

5 level tbsp sea salt

Recipe

1. Scrub each of the potatoes and place them in a large saucepan with the water over a medium-high heat.

2. When the water begins to boil, add the salt and stir. Keep an eye on the potatoes and sit them every five minutes.

3. After 20-25 minutes, the potatoes should be cooked, but slowly prick one with the tip of a knife to be sure – there will be almost no resistance against the knife when they are cooked.

4. Drain the water from the pan and turn off the heat. Leave the saucepan with the potatoes on the hob to dry – you’ll know they are ready when the skins are shrivelled and the potatoes have taken on a salt-crystallised grey colour.